Qin Aigong was already old at this time, and he gradually indulged in wine and did not care about national politics. At this time, seeing that the Chu envoy begged for help from Qin, he was extremely reluctant. Besides, since the king of Zhuang, the state of Chu has gradually become stronger, and later after several expeditions, the princes held a 'meeting of soldiers' in the Song state. The state of Chu relied on its growing national strength to divide power with the overlord of the Jin state at that time, and except for the two great states of Qin and Qi, all other princes had to pay tribute to the two kingdoms of Chu and Jin.

Now that the state of Chu is in trouble, it is a blessing for the state of Qin. Although the two countries are the countries of marriage, and the country of marriage is the most excuse to ask for assistance, because King Chuping forcibly took his daughter-in-law, so that the Qin State lost face, so the bridge between the two countries built by marriage is extremely fragile.

Although Shen Baoxu said that the king of Qin was 'the country of marriage and the lips are cold and the teeth are cold', it is a bit far-fetched after all.

Let's say that Shen Baoxu stood outside the Qin court and did not return at night, waiting for the results of the deliberations of the monarchs and ministers of the Qin State.

At this time, it is nearly May. Shen Baoxu was independent of the Qin Court Hall. From time to time, a guard in front of the court came to persuade him: "Why do the envoys sleep here? When the king and his ministers have news, they will inform the distinguished guests. Please stand down. ”

Shen Baoxu was unmoved, and stood silently all night in front of the main hall of the Qin Palace. When I stayed in the morning of the second day, I wanted to wait for the news of King Qin, but I saw that the door of the palace was closed, except for the guards of the forbidden army guarding around the main hall, there was no half shadow of the door of the minister of Qin, let alone the King of Qin.

For three days, Bao Xu could not see the King of Qin and his ministers. Bao Xu returned to the pavilion and thought to himself: "It seems that the Qin State is unwilling to send troops, and the monarchs and ministers of the Qin State are avoiding me." When I have a full meal today and wait outside the Qin court, I will see that he will not go to the court to discuss matters? ”

Shen Baoxu made up his mind, and after a full meal, he went to the gate of Qin Ting. I still saw that the main hall was closed, and only a few guards in armor were wandering there.

After making friends in the past few days, those soldiers also recognized Bao Xu, so they naturally didn't go to chase him.

Unexpectedly, Bao Xu stood in front of the main hall, and began to cry towards the door of the hall.

"Woohoo! How can the disaster of my Chu country today be solved? Woohoo......"

The big man stood there and cried, which naturally became a scene. The guards outside the court were also at a loss: drive him away, after all, he was an envoy of a country, and it was not in accordance with diplomatic etiquette; If you don't chase him, it's not a matter of howling here. Unorthodox and elegant.

At this time, a person who looked like the leader of the forbidden army came over, this person had a purple face and thick eyebrows. A long sword hung diagonally from his waist, and he said in an urn voice: "Your envoy has come from afar." Go to the inn to rest. The king has been absent for several days, waiting for news. I will report back to you. Why should you be so anxious? And here you cry bitterly? As a guard, please go back quickly! ”

Shen Baoxu wiped his tears with the sleeve of his robe and wept: "I am a courtier, but my king is hiding in Tibet among the reckless, with no fixed place to live and no food. How can I not be in a hurry? ”

Seeing that this person was so sharp-toothed, the purple-faced man said after a while: "If your envoy is willing to wait here, it will be difficult for us to drive you away, so it is better for your envoy to sit on one side." Wouldn't it be better to wait there, why howl and cry? ”

Shen Baoxu didn't seem to hear it, and still cried and said: "Poor Chu is a country of a thousand times, and today in danger, no one has given a helping hand, isn't it sad!" ”

The purple-faced man was also a little anxious when he saw this, and when he saw that this person did not listen to the advice, he waved his hand.

The two guards in front of the palace immediately came over, set up Shen Baoxu, and came outside the hall.

Bao Xu howled and kicked his legs, playing tricks. While turning around, he hissed and shouted: "Chu is the country of marriage in the Qin State, but it is so ruthless? ”

After a commotion, the guards put Bao Xu down the long steps, and just turned around, the guards had not returned to their original positions, but they had already seen Shen Bao Xu in front of the main hall again.

The purple-faced man waved his hand and ordered the guards to take Bao Xu away again, but Shen Bao Xu was unwilling to leave, and stood outside the court crying bitterly. Seeing that this person was so persistent, the purple-faced man had no choice but to sigh, shake his head and order, "Stop!" That's it! Let him stand by the wall of the court, and let him not stand outside this door and weep, lest the king know that he is guilty. ”

In this way, Shen Baoxu stood outside the wall of the Qin Court and cried day and night, crying incessantly, crying for seven days in a row. Later, he had a hoarse voice and blood in his throat.

The guards of the forbidden army took pity on him and served him with water bladders and meals. Bao Xu doesn't look at it, doesn't drink a spoonful of water, and doesn't eat a spoonful of food.

During this period of time, the Duke of Mourning had not been in the palace, and he thought about how to push back the invitation of the Chu envoy to send troops, so he summoned the master to return to the palace to discuss.

Zifu was ordered to see the king, passed through the palace gate, and as soon as he stepped on the high steps, he heard the hoarse sound of drinking and crying, and he couldn't help but be surprised: "In this important place of the Qin Palace, why are some people crying?" ”

Zifu raised his eyes and saw a man with a long body and a thin face, standing outside the gray courtyard wall of the main hall of the Qin Palace, crying incessantly. The man's clothes were tattered and ragged, his face was sallow and withered, and his face was difficult to distinguish because of the continuous crying.

Zifu couldn't help frowning, stroked his gray beard, and beckoned the purple-faced man to come over.

"The king summoned the lord to the court, there must be important matters to discuss, and early in the morning, the palace eunuch came to say, saying that the king alone recruited the lord into the palace." The purple-faced man looked arrogant at this time, and a smile appeared on his face.

"This man is weeping here, disheveled, what a body he has become! You don't care? ”

"This is the envoy of the Chu State, for some reason, he has been crying here for seven days. said that the king of Chu was in danger, and begged my king to save the country. ”

"Oh-," Zifu pondered for a long time, glanced at Bao Xu, nodded, didn't say anything more, stepped into the door, and a palace eunuch introduced him into the palace of King Qin.

Walk through a long corridor and turn a cloister to the west, which is the back garden of the dormitory. But I saw that on the gray wall, various styles of dark red carved window lattices slipped past, and at the end was the door of King Qin's bedroom.

The palace eunuch pushed the door in, went in and reported to the mourning duke, and Zifu went in to pay homage to the mourning duke.

After the monarch and the ministers saw it, they mourned the prince and gave him a seat. Zi Fu saw the mourning man cross-legged on the mat, with a sad brow and a worried face.

Gong Wai frowned and said: "Did Aiqing ever know that the State of Chu sent an envoy to our country to seek a teacher?" Now the state of Wu is the time when the army is strong, and the strength of the state of Chu is not an opponent, not to mention that our army is on an expedition, it is even more difficult to win. It's just that our two countries are a country of marriage, if we don't help each other, how can we justify it? ”

"What can the king say about those who are outside the court? The minister had just been summoned to the palace, but he saw a person crying outside the palace. The ministers heard from the guards that this man had been weeping here for seven days, without a sip of water or a spoonful of soup, and his crying was very sad and pitiful. ”

When the mourning public heard this, he stood up and exclaimed: "There is such a virtuous minister in the state of Chu, who is anxious about the difficulties of his monarch, so disregarding life and death, how can it not be respected!" Chu has virtuous ministers, and the state of Wu still wants to destroy them, and the widow does not have such virtuous ministers, how can the state of Wu be compatible? ”

When Zifu heard Wai Gong say this, his face had already turned purple, and he got up and knelt on the ground: "The ministers are derelict in their responsibilities and have failed the king's trust!" ”

Mourning Gong felt speechless and comforted his son. The waiter brought an ink pen and white silk, and mourned the father's handwriting, and said:

"Shall you say that you have no clothes, and are with the Son? The king wants to rejuvenate the teacher, and he has the same enmity with the son! ”

After Wai Gong finished writing, he called the guards beside him and instructed: "You take the widow's handwritten book and hand it to the Chu envoy outside the court." ”

Mourning Gongcai sat down cross-legged again, and replied: "The widow sees that the Chu State has such a virtuous minister, and it will definitely not be destroyed by the Wu State, so the widow intends to send troops to save Chu, I don't know what Aiqing can say?" ”

Zi Fu said: "It is naturally a good thing that the king is willing to send troops to save Chu. First, if he can repel the state of Wu and restore the kingdom for the king of Chu, the king will definitely be able to stand in the middle of the princes; the second is to make the north of Chu State affairs Chu, and obtain the grace of the monarchs and ministers of Chu State for the king, and have their own tribute every year; Third, my Great Qin is located in the west, and I have little contact with the princes of the Central Plains, so I can take this opportunity to pass on the prestige of our country to the Central Plains, so that the princes of the Central Plains know that I cannot be underestimated. ”

Mourning Gong praised himself as good, and asked again: "Who does Aiqing think can be a general?" ”

"This dispatch of troops is not trivial. In order to facilitate the long-distance attack, the minister suggested that two main generals could be sent to rescue Chu. The ministers raise the master Zi Bo and Zi Hu, and they can be generals. ”

Mourning the Duke of Remembrance played the quasi-performance, and ordered the ministers to go to the court on the second day to discuss the matter of sending troops to save Chu. (To be continued......)